Movies by Sidney Olcott

Ben Hur

Ben Hur

The first adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.

Little Old New York

Little Old New York

An Irish girl comes to America disguised as a boy to claim a fortune left to her brother who has died.

From the Manger to the Cross

From the Manger to the Cross

The life of Jesus is played out in tableaux shot in the Holy Land.

The Moth and the Flame

The Moth and the Flame

A bride who discovers during her wedding ceremony that her husband-to-be has fathered a child out of wedlock with another woman.

Diplomacy

Diplomacy

The story takes place in Monte Carlo, where the impoverished Julian proposes marriage to the wealthy Dora, only to be turned down by the girl's mercenary mother. Several years later, Julian manages not only to obtain a huge fortune, but also a prominent position in the British diplomatic service. Now a suitable husband for Dora, Julian marries the girl. Alas, their happiness is short-lived.

Not So Long Ago

Not So Long Ago

Against the backdrop of New York City of the early 1850s, a young woman -- naively seeking to win the love she reads about in the romance novels she devours -- finds one prospect in an earnest denizen of the Bowery, and another in an elegant young aristocrat. Focusing on the bygone era's fashions, the novelty of the bicycle-built-for-two, and an inventor's quest for the horseless carriage, the film gently stirs the audiences' nostalgia for simpler times.

The Stepmother

The Stepmother

The Smugglers

The Smugglers

While honeymooning in Paris, wealthy John Battleby Watts is persuaded to purchase a $20,000 necklace for his capricious young wife. When the jeweler refuses to accept his check, John heads to the bank for the necessary funds. En route, he passes a little shop specializing in imitation jewelry. Figuring his wife will never know the difference, he buys a cheap duplicate of the 20-grand bauble. Later on, however, he reconsiders and purchases the genuine article. But before he can reach his hotel, John is detained by saucy chorus girl Rita Bori,...

Railroad Raiders of '62

Railroad Raiders of '62

Union raiders infiltrate Confederate territory by train. Early film version of the Civil War incident on which Buster Keaton's The General and Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase was based.

The Charmer

The Charmer

A wild dancer in a cheap Seville cafe, Mariposa is taken to New York by SeƱor Sprott, a prominent theatrical producer. Billed as "The Charmer," Mariposa becomes the toast of two continents. Among her most ardent admirers are Ralph Bayne, a millionaire playboy, and his chauffeur, Dan Murray, both of whom first met her in Spain. Madly in love with Bayne, Mrs. Sedgwick invites Mariposa and her mother to a weekend party in a deliberate attempt to humiliate the beautiful dancer. Bayne quickly realizes that Mariposa is out of place in high society...

The Best People

The Best People

Bertie and Marian Lenox are children of a wealthy family, and their mother intends that they marry "within their class". They, however, have different plans--Bertie is in love with chorus girl Sally O'Neil and Marian loves Henry Morgan, the family chauffeur. The family finds out about the impending marriages and determines to stop them. Complications ensue.

The Romance of a Trained Nurse

The Romance of a Trained Nurse

The Amateur Gentleman

The Amateur Gentleman

Barbanas Barty inherits some money, sets off to London, meets and falls in love with Lady Cleone Meredith, and this does not set well with Sir Mortiner Carnaby, who has eyes on the fair lady himself. Barnaby becomes friend with Viscount Devehon, buys a horse from him and enters it in the big steeplechase. Sir Mortimer takes steps to rid society of the presence of this non-gentleman.

The Green Goddess

The Green Goddess

The Green Goddess is a 1923 American silent adventure film based on the play The Green Goddess by William Archer. Set during the British Raj, it stars George Arliss as the Rajah of Rukh, into whose land arrive three British subjects, played by Alice Joyce, David Powell, and Harry T. Morey.

The Only Woman

The Only Woman

A 1924 film directed by Sidney Olcott.

Timothy's Quest

Timothy's Quest

Timothy and Gay, orphans from the slums of Boston, escape to Maine in search of a home and manage to thaw Avilda's embittered, grief-stricken heart. A charming pastoral about two unwanted children finding acceptance and love.

The Right Way

The Right Way

Two young boys get in trouble with the law and wind up in prison. One, who was raised in poverty in the slums, goes to a reformatory and picks up tips on how to become a master criminal.

Dust of the Desert

Dust of the Desert

Dust of the Desert is a 1912 short film

A Prisoner of the Harem

A Prisoner of the Harem

Alice Durand, after weeks of discouragement, reads the following advertisement in the New York Herald: "Governess wanted. Young American woman, well educated and speaking French and German, may obtain lucrative position with prominent Egyptian. Fare and expenses will be advanced. Write, enclosing photograph, to Mahmoud Pasha, Sphinx Club, Cairo, Egypt." Answering the advertisement, Alice seven weeks later, secures the position and leaves her New York boarding-house for Egypt.

Salome of the Tenements

Salome of the Tenements

A young East Side Jewish reporter gets into a sticky situation when she finds that her new beau is indicting a banker she owes money to.